If you are looking for a versatile dessert, that is quick, easy, and delicious, you have come to the right place! Here is a go-to rice pudding recipe that is perfect for all kinds of occasions: an after-school treat, a quick family dessert, a buffet-style dessert for a large party. Kids and grownups alike, love it, and it couldn’t be easier to make!
The ingredients are very basic,and any family kitchen should have the ingredients on hand to prepare this easy dessert. Rice, milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt, are all you need. If there is one thing that I love, it is a recipe that does not require a trip to the grocery store!
I tend to make this recipe, when I have some leftover rice to use up. If you don’t have cooked rice handy, then of course you will need to make a batch, but I promise you, it is well worth it.This recipe calls for three cups of cooked rice, so start with one and a half cups of uncooked rice. Using a saucepan, bring one and a half cups of rice, with three cups of water to a boil. When the water boils, cover and turn the heat down to low. Cook for twenty minutes until rice is done.
Start by putting three cups of cooked rice in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, or Dutch oven. Add three cups of milk, 2/3 cup of sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the rice, and mix well. Cook over medium heat for fifteen to twenty minutes, until the milk has thickened considerably. The pudding doesn’t require much attention at this point, so feel free to do other things, but it is always a good idea to stir it occasionally, and keep an eye on it, so that it doesn’t come to a boil. You just want it to achieve a simmer, enough to cook the milk, but not to scald it.
Beat two eggs in a bowl and gradually add them to the hot rice/milk mixture. If you have time, I highly recommend that you temper the eggs before adding them. It takes a couple of minutes, but it will ensure that you don’t end up with scrambled eggs in your rice pudding! If you aren’t familiar with the process, it is very easy. Just add some of whatever hot mixture you are cooking to beaten eggs, a little bit at time, while stirring constantly. This raises the temperature of the eggs gradually, without cooking them. After you have added several spoonfuls to the beaten eggs, it will be safe to add them to the rice mixture. If you don’t have time to temper the eggs, just make sure you stream the beaten eggs into the hot rice mixture very slowly while stirring pretty energetically, and you wil be fine.Add the remaining one cup of milk along with two tablespoons of butter and a teaspoon of vanilla extract, and mix well. Let the pudding cook for several more minutes (about five) until the pudding has thickened up. Remove from heat, and allow to rest on the stovetop for a few minutes before serving. Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon, or some grated nutmeg if you like.
Like I said, this recipe is very versatile. You can double or triple the recipe to serve a crowd. Serve it warm on an autumn or winter evening, as a way to warm you up from the inside out; or serve it chilled at a summer barbecue, or picnic for a sweet treat. When I made this recipe today, in the August heat, my kids graciously agreed to take one for the team, and eat some, since I was making it for this post. They barely let it finish cooking before they were getting bowls and spoons, and then demanded seconds!
Quick Rice Pudding
Ingredients:
3 cups cooked white rice
4 cups milk, divided
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
1. In another saucepan, combine 3 cups cooked rice, 3 cups milk, sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat until thick and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 cup milk, and beaten egg and vanilla. Cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in butter. Serve warm.
